The search

1.5K 15 8
                                    

"Be careful, Henderson. Who knows what else is out here." Steve says quietly, creeping through the dark woods of the upside down.
"I know, Steve!" Dustin exclaims.
"Do you really think Eddie is still out here?" Steve asks, stopping in his tracks for a moment.
"Well- It's always good to check, right?"
"I guess. Maybe he just passed out, who knows." Steve reasons, trying to give himself hope.
"Steve?"
"Yeah?"
"What if we find Eddie but he's like- different? Like can Vecna do that?" Dustin thinks.
Steve thinks for a moment.
"Then we have to do everything in our power to get him back." Steve concludes. But he also wonders what that would entail, if it would mean hurting him.
It better not.
From then neither of them talk.
"Did you hear that? Is it Eddie?" Dustin whispers, freezing.
Steve also halts, and he hears it too. It sounds like an animal or some sort in the bushes.
"Don't move." Steve instructs, carefully pulling out his nail bat.
After moments of silence, the creature finally comes out of it's hiding place.
A demodog.
Steve can hear Dustin sigh in disappointment as he swings the bat.
"I was hoping that was going to be Eddie!"
"You and me both, Henderson. Mind helping me out here?" Steve says, kicking it and hitting it with his bat.
"Oh, sorry, yeah," Dustin agrees, pulling out his small knife.
"I'll hold it down, you stab! On three!" Steve instructs, holding the demodog down with his bat.
"3, 2, 1, stab!"
He does, and it struggles for a moment but eventually stops moving and Steve lets go.
"Dumb thing." Steve mumbles to himself.
"So, where now?" Dustin asks.
"Well clearly this is a dead end, so let's go over to this path. Maybe it'll lead to something actually interesting." Steve says, sarcasm in his voice in that last bit.
Dustin follows, still keeping as quiet as possible.
"Look!" Dustin points through the trees.
It's Vecna's mansion.
"Bingo." Steve mumbles. 
"Let's be swift and quick, but don't let your guard down."
"Got it, Steve!" Dustin says, saluting Steve and following after him.
Along the way, a few demobats and other upside down creatures attack, but nothing enough to stop them.
When they make it to the front, they are both disturbed by the bodies with bones cracked and bleeding eyes.
"Eugh, gross." Steve mumbles again, looking at Chrissy Cunningham's body.
"Agreed," Dustin nods.
"How do we get i-" Steve gets cut off by a bigger creature attacking.
He doesn't have enough time to react before the creature pounces on him and shows it's sharp teeth. It seems to be a vampire of sorts. Pale skin, sunken eyes, sharp teeth, even wings. But there was something oddly familiar about it.
The creature bends forward to sink it's teeth into Steve's neck, but stops.
"What- What do you want from us?" Steve says nervously, getting Deja Vú from when he met Eddie.
The creatures eyes widen and tears fall.
"...Stevie?"
It's dead silent. Even the sounds of clocks and demobats flying around seems to quiet down.
Steve and Dustin's eyes seem to be just as confused looking as the creatures.
Then Dustin chimes in.
"Eddie?"
"Henderson!"
Holy shit.
He really is alive.
"Eddie, oh my God we thought you were dead!" Dustin says, crying and hugging Eddie.
"I missed both of you so much. There's a lot to catch up on, huh?" Eddie says, pulling both of them into a group hug.
"Let's save that for later. Right now I'm just so happy to see you, Eddie. Everyone really thought you were dead." Steve mumbles through tears.
"Why did you come back here, then?"
"Because Henderson here wanted to make sure. He's the reason we know you're alive. He's the reason everyone will know you're okay." Steve tells him. Dustin looks flattered, even through his cheeks that are red with tears.
"I can't take all the credit. Besides, Steve is the only one who agreed to go with me!" Dustin piped up.
"Okay, okay. But it was mainly you."
"I'm just so happy to see both of you." Eddie sniffs.
After a while of hugging in silence outside of Vecna's mansion, Dustin finally speaks.
"So, like, what.... happened? To you, I mean?"
"That's a very long story, but I must admit, it is pretty damn metal. I look fucking awesome, man!" Eddie says.
"Can you tell us?" Steve asks.
"Yeah, how about later, though? I want to go home."
"Well, about that- How can you go back when you look like... That?" Steve asks.
"Good thing I can hide the wings, huh?" Eddie says, pulling the dragon-like wings back.
"That is so cool, dude!" Dustin says, doing a but of an excited jump.
"I know right? So fucking metal!"
"Now this is great and all, but we should probably head back before.... You know who finds us." Steve intercepts.
"Good point, let's go." Eddie agrees. Dustin leads, since he has the flashlight. Eddie and Steve walk side by side.
"You don't know how hard it was not to kiss you right then." Steve admits, whispering into Eddie's now sharp ears.
"Do you think we should maybe tell Henderson?" Eddie suggests.
"Maybe. Later. Right now-" Steve looks forward to Dustin, who is paying no attention to them and is looking forward. Steve quickly cups his hands around Eddie's face and kisses him, Eddie's sharp teeth grazing his bottom lip.
They then continue walking, hands brushing against each other's every bow and then.
"Okay, here is the gate!" Dustin finally says, after what feelings like hours of walking and fighting off upside down creatures.
"Finally," Eddie sighs.
"Let's g-"
There's a small growl noise.
"Shit."
Dustin slowly turns around and flashes the flashlight onto the creature.
It's a demodog. Great.
But it doesn't attack. Instead, it moves closer to Dustin. Eddie and Steve both prepare for attack, but Dustin calms them.
"Wait, I think I know who this is!" Dustin exclaims.
"Who? Dustin, that's a demodog! Get away from it!" Steve tells him, but he doesn't listen.
"Dart!"
The demodog jumps into Dustin's arms at the name and Dustin laughs and holds it like a baby.
"Dart, bud, I missed you!" Dustin says to the creature. It growls in response, and almost makes a smile with it's flower-like face.
"What the hell?" Eddie says, confused.
"Guys, this is Dart! I raised him when he was just a tiny little demodog! Didn't I, Dart?" Dustin turns to it. It makes a noise of affirmation.
"See? He's nice! Can we take him home? Please?" Dustin begs, and Dart seems to look at them in a similar way.
Eddie and Steve look at each other.
"You're sure he won't attack?" Eddie says nervously.
"Well, he ate my cat when he was a baby. But he's all grown up now, and he's learned his lesson! Haven't you, Dart?" Dustin says.
Eddie hesitates.
They both sigh, and at the same time say, "Fine." and Dustin twirls Dart around like a baby again in happiness.
"You hear that, Dart? You can come home with me!"
Dart's tail wags, and as gross as it should be, Steve almost finds it cute.
"Come on, before anything else finds us." Eddie insists, and Dustin carefully carries Dart through the gate, next Eddie, last Steve.
Once they make it through, Eddie takes a moment to admire what he'd lost for a month.
"I forgot how beautiful everything is." Eddie says, staring at the sunset.
"Dart thinks so, too!" Dustin pipes up.
"I bet he does." Steve says, throwing an arm around Eddie's shoulders, and Eddie rests his head on Steve's shoulder.
"Get a room!" Dustin says, disgust in his voice.
"What?"
"You guys are being so gross! All lovey-dovey!" Dustin complains.
"What do you mean-" Eddie asks.
"I know you guys are dating, and I'm, like, pretty sure I knew before you guys even knew. I see how you guys look at each other, and you best believe I saw that kiss when we were walking back! Gross!" Dustin confesses.
Eddie and Steve stand there in shock.
"You saw that?!"
"Yes! You guys suck at keeping secrets!"
"You aren't like- Mad, or anything?" Eddie says, concern in his voice.
"What? No! Do you really think that lowly of me?" Dustin says, offended. Eddie smiles.
"Good to hear, Henderson. I just assumed you'd be, like, you know, mad. Or something."
"Why, because you're both dudes? No, I'm not like that! You are truly hurting me."
They all laugh, and it looks like maybe, just maybe, things will finally go back to normal.

"Eddie." Steve says after they dropped Dustin off at his house to take care of Dart.
"Yeah?"
"After your... 'death', you were proved innocent after all. You're free of any charge." Steve tells him.
"Really?"
"Yes. And also-" Steve bends over the front seat into the back to grab something. A sheet of paper and a hat.
It's a graduation cap and a diploma, with the name Eddie Munson on it.
"It's your year."
Eddie stares at the paper and hat, speechless
"I can't- I can't believe it.. I really did it! It's my year, I knew it! I just knew it!" Eddie says, hugging the paper and hat, crying. Steve hugs him, careful not to crinkle the paper.
"I knew you'd make it, all along."
They sat there for a while, every now and then Eddie holding the diploma in front of him to read it again, and crying more.
"Do you want to visit you uncle?" Steve suggests after Eddie calmed down.
"He thinks I'm dead?"
"Well, we told him, but he never believed you were truly dead. I guess he was right."
"Did you tell him... Everything? About- About the upside down? About us?"
"Yes. He believed every word. He's a great man." Steve says, making Eddie smile.
"He is."
They drive to Eddie's new place, after the trailer was destroyed. Steve knows where it is because it's where Eddie's grave is. It's funny now because the man he mourned not so long ago is now sitting next to him, singing the song on the radio loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear.
"Hey, Ed?"
"Yeah?" Eddie looks at him, turning down the radio.
"I didn't get a chance to say this before but-"
"But?" Eddie smiles, his sharp teeth showing.
"I love you." Steve says. It comes easily, as if those words were meant for him to say to Eddie. As if that was what he was supposed to say.
Eddie instantly has the biggest smile on his face.
"I love you more."
"Nope, I love you more!"
"Nuh-uh!"
They playfully argue for a few minutes about this, until they reach the familiar place, at least to Steve.
Over the past month, Steve and Wayne have become pretty close, bonding over Eddie's supposed death, even though Wayne still didn't believe he was dead.
"He wouldn't let us get rid of him that easy." He would say every time Steve would mention Eddie's death.
Steve knocks on the door. Wayne was able to get enough money to buy a normal house now, and Eddie has such a proud look on his face when he sees.
"Steve! Come here for Eddie?" Wayne says.
"Actually," Steve steps aside to reveal Eddie, and Wayne seems not at all surprised.
"I knew it. Come here." Wayne holds his arms out for a hug, and Eddie takes it. Steve steps aside and smiles, happy for Eddie and Wayne both.
"Come inside, both of you. I have lunch made, and there's extras! Mac & Cheese!" Wayne exclaims, holding up the pot as They step inside.
After they get their food, and sit down on the couch.
"Oh, Eddie, I forgot. Your room in down the hall, to the left. I left some things I thought you might like in there." Wayne tells Eddie, pointing to the nearby hallway.
Eddie gets up quickly and Steve follows, setting his bowl down. When they get in the room, Eddie stares at the room, in amazement.
"Wow. This. is. So. METAL!" Eddie jumps up and down like a toddler. The walls are filled with band posters, his bed has the same cover as it did in the trailer, and there are tapes everywhere, and drawers ready to be used.
"Wayne, I love it. Thank you." Eddie hugs him again.
"I love you, Eddie. I just knew we wouldn't get rid of ya that easy, huh?" Wayne says in tears.
Eddie laughs a little.
"Never."
This is how it was always meant to be.

Steddie oneshots :) (mostly SFW) (Stranger Things, includes Kas!EddieWhere stories live. Discover now